Omega x Swatch MoonSwatch: Swatch gives update on MoonSwatch availability – and Edinburgh still only location outside London selling ‘hottest watch on the planet’

Scotland's capital city was the only UK location outside London selling the timepieces, and watch lovers travelled from all over the UK in the hope of getting their hands on what’s was billed as the ‘hottest watch on the planet’.

Long lines began to form early in the morning of Saturday March 26 outside of Swatch on Princes Street, and soon the queue was snaking all the way up Frederick Street, onto Rose Street, and at one point as far as Charlotte Square.

There were similar scenes in London where a watch store had to close amid chaotic scenes after large crowds turned up for the launch.

The Swatch shop in Carnaby Street had warned customers to get there early in expectation of large queues.

But the store ended up opening for barely half an hour after police officers were seen speaking to store staff as crowds tried to get inside.

Three months later, watch lovers hoping to get their hands on the Omega x Swatch Speedmaster Bioceramic MoonSwatch have been told they will still need to attend a store in-person if they want one – with Edinburgh still the only UK location outside London where they can be bought.

Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek has confirmed that the watch will not be sold online, saying “There’s no emotion in online buying.”

“It’s a carefully produced Swiss-made watch and not a commodity.

“The MoonSwatch is not about to make as much money as possible in the shortest possible time period. So why should we sell it online?”

Swatch has 110 retail stores worldwide – including the aforementioned Princes Street store.

There are 11 models in the MoonSwatch collection representing the solar system, with each model designed after one planetary figure.

Each planet from Mercury to Pluto is represented, as well as the Sun and Moon.

But getting your hands on one today is no easier than it was back in March.

According to a Swatch spokesperson, there is currently a shortage of Moonswatch products, with the company’s website attributing this to “overwhelming demand from Swatch fans all over the globe”.